Automatic heat-regulating apparatus



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. F. GGODHUE.

- AUTOMATIC HEAT REGULATING APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 26,1892.

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Patented Apr. 26, 1892.

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C. P. GOO-DHUE.

AUTOMATIC HEAT REGULATING APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 26, 1892.

WITNEEEEE- no., mero-urn UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. GOODHUE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC HEAT-REGULATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,599, dated April 26, 1892.

Application led May 29, 1891. Serial No. 394,504. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. GOODHUE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Heat- Regulating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of automatic heat-regulating apparatus in which a mechanical motor adapted to alternately open and close a damper or other draft-regulating device is normally locked by a detent which is controlled by electrical means, including a thermostat located in an apartment in which the temperature is to be regulated, said thermostat when moved in one direction by a given change of temperature causing an electrical action which releases the motor and permits it to so change the position of the damper as to either increase or decrease the temperature, as the case may be.

`In apparatus of this class as heretofore arranged two electrical circuits have been employed, one of which is closed by one position of the thermostat and operates to close the damper, so as to check the combustion and decrease the temperature, While the other is closed by the other position of the-thermostat and operates to open the damper and cause an increase of temperature.

My invention has for its object to enable both movements of the valve or damper to be effected through the instrumentality of a single electric circuit, which shall effect both the closing and opening of the damper, thus obviating the complication and expense of two separate circuits.

To this end my invention consist-s in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a front elevation of a part of the apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents an elevation similar to Fig. l, showing the cover of the boX or casing thrown open. Fig. 4 represents a partial section and partial side elevation of a damper-operating motor forming part of my improved apparatus. Fig". 5

represents a section on line 5 5 of Fig. fl and a plan view of the parts below said line. Fig. 6 represents an edge view of the lever s and parts cooperating therewith. Fig. 7 represents a diagrammatic view which includes the portions of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 5 and parts of the appliances which operate the damper, said View showing, also, portions of the electrical connections. Figs. 8 and 9 represent diagrammatic views, omitting the damper-operating appliances and the casing shown in Fig. l and showing the electrical connections more completely.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention I provide a suitable motor adapted t-o alternately open and close the damper or draft-regulating device pertaining to a furnace or other heater, or, if preferred, to simultaneously open the damper which admits air to the fuel and close a damper which admits air to the smoke-line between the iire-box and chimney, and vice Versa, it being my purpose to apply my improvements, hereinafter described, to an y form of combristicii-regulating devices either by determining the quantity of air supplied to the fuel or by determining the rapidity of the draft, or both.

The motor shown in Fig. a comprises a spring a, applied to rotate a shaft h, to which is affixed a gear-wheel C, meshing with a pinion d on a shaft e. Said shaft has a gear-wheel f meshing with a pinion (not shown) on a shaft g, to which is affixed a gear-Wheel h, meshing with a pinion (not shown) on a shaft z', the latter having a gear-Wheel j, which rotates through a pinion (not shown) a shaft 7c, having a fan-governor Z, which regulates the speed of the motion of the train when the latter is permitted to operate. The shaft e is provided with two crank-arms c e2, (shown in Fig. 7,) said arms projecting in opposite directions. To the arms c is connected a cord or chain m, which passes over suitable pulleys nn to one of the heat-controlling devices-such, for example, as the damper which regulates the draft. To the crank c2 is affixed a cord or chain m', which passes over pulleys n n', and is connected with the other draft-regulating device, which may be the damper regulating the admission of air to the smoke-liuc.

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0 represents a disk or wheel affixed to the shaft e and provided with notches 0 o at opposite points in its periphery.

p represents alever or detent, which is electrically controlled, as hereinafter described, and normally engages with one of the notches o', so as to lock the motor-train and prevent its operation. Vhen said detent is displaced by the electrical action, presently described, it releases the wheel 0 andpermits the motor to operate until the wheel 0 has made a halfrevolution, thus bringing its other notch o in position to be engaged by the detent p, the latter being released after its displacement above mentioned before the second notch has reached it, so that it is free to enter said notch and again lock the train. It will be seen, therefore, that each operation of the train caused by a displacement of the detent p causes a half-rotation of the shaft c. The connection between the cranks e e2 of said shaft c and the draft-regulating devices is such that durin one-half rotation of the crank said devices will be operated to check the draft and reduce the temperature, and during the next half-rotation they will be operated to increase the draft and temperature.

I have not deemed it necessary to show the draft-regulating devices, as devices of this kind, capable of being connected with the cords or chains m m', are so well known that no invention would be required in operatively connecting the described motor to the draftregulating devices of many forms of heaters now in general use.

I do not limit myself to the described form of motor, however, but may use any suitable motor adapted to bc locked by a detent electrically controlled and to effect the given movement of the draft-regulating device or devices after each displacement of said detent and to be arrested by the detent in said movement.

Q represents an electro-magnet, which is included in an electric circuit, hereinafter described, and has its poles arranged to act ou an armature Q', which is pivoted at Q2, and is atlixed to the detent arm or lever 1J, the arrangement being such that when the electromagnet is energized the attraction of the armature Q to the poles of said magnet will displace the detent p, and when the circuit through said magnet is broken the armature will be retracted by its retracting-weight r and cause the engagement of the detent with one of the notches of the wheel or disk 0.

The electro-magnet Q is included in a single electric circuit, which includes a battery Q3 or other source of electric energy, the wire Q4 extending from one pole of the battery to a contact Q5, and a spring or current-changer Q5, which, under the conditions now being described, connects the contact Q5 with another contact Q1, which is connected by a wire QS with the fixed end of a thermostatic arm or bar Q0. Said arm or bar Q0 has its free end located between two contacts Q10 Q11, which are electrically connected, respectively, with contact arms or springs Q11 Q15, between which is adapted to oscillate a polarized armature Q10, the latter being located between the poles of an electro-magnet Q11, which is suitably connected in the circuit, said electro-magnet and polarized armature being parts of a polarized relay. In practice the contacts Q10 Q11 are connected with the contacts Q11 Q15 by metal posts or studs passing through the part of the supporting frame or casing to which said contacts are attached, the contacts Q11 Q15 being directly behind contacts Q10 Q11. I have shown the contacts Q11 and Q15 separated considerably from Q10 and Q11 in Figs. 8 and 9 and connected with the latter by wires Q12 Q15, this showing being for the sake of greater clear ness in the diagrammatic illustration of the electrical connections. From the electromagnet Q17 extends a wire Q18 to a contact point Q10, which is connected by wire Q20 to another contact Q21. Said contact Q21is under the conditions now being described connected by a current-changer or spring Q22, which is a counterpart of and moves with the spring Q0 with a contact Q25. The latter is connected by a wire Q2'1 with the electro-magnet Q, and the iatter is connected by a wire Q25 with the battery Q5. Q20 represents another contact which is located in line with the contacts Q21 and Q21 and opposite the contact Q10. The said polarized relay comprises the permanent magnet e', having the rod e', on which the armature Q10 is hung, and the electro-magnet Q17 Q17, one pole of which is connected by wire .e2 with the rod z', while the other pole is connected with wire Q18, the helices of said electro-magnet being connected by wire e5. This is an ordinary Siemens polarized relay, and the poles of the electro-magnet are caused to alternately attract the armature Q10, one pole attracting said armature when the current is in one direction and the other when the current is in the opposite direction,so that said armature stands alternately in the positions shown vin Figs. 8 and 9.

The contacts Q0 and Q22 are metal plates mounted upon a lever s, which is pivoted at s to the supportingframe of the motor, and has at its upper portion two arms .s2 35, arranged at opposite sides of the shaft c and in position to be acted on alternately by a stud s1, projecting from the wheel o. iVhen the wheel o is locked by lthe detentp, the stud s1 stands between the arms s2 S11, as shown in Fig. e, and when said detent is displaced the rotation of said wheel 0 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 causes the stud S4 to strike the arm S2, and thus swing the lever s, causing it to move the current-changing springs Q0 and Q22 from the position shown in Figs. 4, 5, 7, and 8 to that shown in Fig. 9, said springs being thus separated from the contacts Q7 and Q21 and caused to connect the contact Q5 with the conta-ct Q10, and the contact Q20 with the contact Q20, thus causing a reversal in the direction of the current, which IOO IIC

changing springs are in the position shown in Fig. 9 the polarized armature Q16 is in position to make the circuit complete through the contact Q11 when the free end of the thermostatic arm touches said contact.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The lever s and circuit-closing springs Q6 and Q22 being in the position shown in Figs.

4, 5, 7, and 8, which, for the sake of description, may be assumed as the position they occupy after the motor has operated to check the draft and decrease the temperature, an

increase of temperature will cause the free end of the thermostatic arm Q2 to move to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, thus making contact with the contact-point Q11, so that the circuit is closed and the current passes from the battery through the wire Q1, contact Q5, spring, Q6, contact Q16, wire Q12, electro-magnet Q11,"`polarized armature Q16, contact-spring Q15, wire Q12, thermostatic arm Q2, wire Q2, contact Q7, wire Q21, which connects the contact Q1 with the contact Q26, circuitchanging spring Q22, contact Q22,wire Q21, electro-magnet Q, and Wire Q25 to the battery. The

electro-magnet Q is thus energized and causedto attract the armature Q, thus displacing the detent p. The wheel 0 is thus released and the motor commences to operate, its operation reversing the conditions of the draftregulating devices of the heater and at the same time causing the stud s1 to move in the direction required to swing the lever s and move the circuit-closing` springs Q6 Q22 from Vthe position shown in Fig. 9 to that shown in Fig. S. The direction of the current is thus changed and the polarized armature Q16 is caused to assume the position shown in Fig. 8, thus breaking the circuit. This result takes place before the second notch 0 in the wheel o reaches the detent p, so that the dctent is released and allowed to engage said second notch when the latter reaches the detent. Hence the motor is arrested at the point when the desired change has been effected in the draft-regulating devices. The circuit now remains open until the thermostat, influenced bythe change of temperature caused by theA last adjustment of the draftregulating devices, assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, thus making contact with the contact-point Q16 and closing the circuit, so that the current passes from the battery through the wire Q4, contact Q6, currentchanging spring Q6, contact Q1, wire QS, ther- CJD mostatic arm Q1), contact Q16, wire Q12, contactspring Q11, polarized armature Q16, electromagnet Q11, wire Q12, contact Q12, wire Q26, contact Q21, circuit-changing spring Q22, contact Q22, wire Q21, electro-magnet Q, and wire Q25 to the battery, as shown in Fig. 8. The electromagnet Q is thus again energized and caused to attract its armature, thus displacing the detent and permitting another operation of the motor, so that the conditions of the draftregulating devices are again reversed.. The operation thus continues, each change in the position of the thermostatic arm caused by a given variation of the temperature closing the circuit and causing` the release of the motor and the movement of the current-changing device, so that wheneverthe therinostatic arm reaches an extreme of its movement it closes a circuit, reverses the conditions ofthe draft-regulating devices, and changes the direction of the current, thus breaking the circuit and preparing for the closing of the circuit when the thermostatic arm reaches the opposite extreme of its movement.

It will be seen that by the employment of the polarized relay in the circuit and a eurrent changing or reversing device operated by the motor that moves the draft-regulating devices I am enabled to utilize a single eircuit in releasing the motor preparatory to each operation of the d raft-regulatin g devices.

I do not limit myself to the particular details of construction of the current reversing or changing devices, nor to the relative arrangement of the therinostatic circuit closing and breaking devices and the polarized relay herein shown and described, as the same may be varied in many particulars without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The thermostatic arm or bar Q2, which is composed of a plurality of strips of metal having different coefficients of expansion, is attached at one end to a post A, which is afiixed to the hinged cover of a box or casing B, located in a room of the building heated by the heating apparatus controlled by my improved regulator. Said box contains the polarized relay, which is preferably attached to the cover of the box, as shown, the electrical connections between the contacts Q10 Q11 and the contact-springs Q11 and Q15 of the polarized relay being preferably posts C C, affixed to the cover and passing through the same. Portions of the wires Q8 and Q1S are affixed to the cover of the box and are connected with theportions of said wires affixed to the body of the box through the hinges D D, Figs. 2 and 3. The wire Q2 on the cover is divided into two parts, as shown in Fig. 3, one of which extends from the post A to another post A', while the other extends from one of the hinges D to a post A2. A switch A6 is pivotally connected with the post A and is adapted when in one pcsitionto connect the posts A and A2, thus making the electrical connection between the main por- TOO ITO

tion of the wire qs and the thermostatic arm complete. Then said switch is thrown off from the post A2, the connection between the main portion of wire Q18 and the thermostatic arm is broken and the device will remain at rest, so that the motor cannot be operated until the switch is again returned to the post A2.

In Fig. 4 I show as an additional means for locking or arresting the motor two arms 7147# on the shaft 7c, said arms being arranged to strike a spring h5 on the armature q when the latter is retracted, said spring being thus caused to arrest the train. If desired, the spring 705 and arms h4 may be relied on as the sole means for arresting the train, the detent p and notched wheel obeing omitted. I prefer to employ both means, however, for the sake of greater certainty.

The current-reversing plates (1G Q22 are insulated from each other by insulation I) and the contacts g5, Q7, (119,(121, Q23, and q2 are supported by brackets E E of insulating,` material, Fig. 6.

I claim- 1. In a temperature-controlling apparatus, a single electric circuit having a thermostatic circuit-closing device and a polarized relay, combined with a damper-operating motor and a current-reversing device controlled by said motor, the armature of the polarized relay bei'ng adapted to be moved by each reversal of the current caused by said reversing` device, as set forth.

2. In a temperature-controlling apparatus, the combination, with a motor adapted to alternately open and close a dalnper or draftregulating device, of a detent which normally locks said motor, a single electric circuit, including an electro-magmet, which, when energized, displaces said detent and permits the operation of the motor, a current reversing or changing device operated by said motor, a polarized relay the armature of which is located between contact points orsprings, and a thermostatic arm or bar located between contactpoints which are electrically connected with the contact-points of the polarized armature,

said thermostat closing the circuit by contact with either contact-point, and thereby energizing the electro-magnet and causing the release of the motor, the movement of the currentreversing device, the reversal of the direction of the current, and a change in the position of the relay-armature, as set forth.

3. In a temperature-controlling apparatus, the combination of a polarized relay, a thermostatic circuit-closingdevice, a damper opening and closing motor, a detent for said motor, electrical connections, substantially as described, comprising a single electric circuit, whereby the detent is displaced and the motor released by a closure of the circuit, andacurrent-reversing device operated by the motor, whereby each release of the motor is caused to reverse the direction of the current through the circuit and change the position of the relay-armature, as set forth.

4. The combination of the mechanically-iinpelled train or motor having a notched wheel on one of its shafts, a movable detent adapted to engage the notches of said wheel, an armature connected with said detent, an electromagnet controlling said armature, a pivoted lever having current-reversing arms or springs and adapted to .be moved by the motor, and a thermostatic arm or bar, a polarized relay, and electrical connections, substantially as described, including said current-reversing arms, thermostatic arm,"`and polarized relay, whereby upon each release of the motor caused by a closure of the circuit by a movement of the thermostatic arm the direction of the current is reversed and the armature of the relay is caused to make connections, whereby the next movement of the thermostatic'arm will again close the circuit, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of May, A. D. ISQI.

CHARLES F. GOODIIUE.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON. 

